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Wooden Host - Good Idea or Bad Idea?

Clickey

Clickey

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Hey everyone. I recently built a PHR - 803T Laser, It is about 2 weeks since I built it, and I was using a RadioShack project box to hold everything in. That was good for a temporary "host" What I would like is a host that is permanent, portable, and cool looking. The only thing I have access to would be a lathe. Not for metal working though. Just for making wooden stuff. Could I make a wooden host? I imagine the final output to be very nice looking with the polished wood texture, it will be a dark colored wood. Most likely would have to just stain some soft wood because I don't have much hard wood. Where do you guys stand on this idea. I know that most hosts come with heat sinks, but because I don't like using my PHR for more then 1 min at max, I don't think heat would be an issue for my duty cycles. So yeah wood doesn't conduct heat well, but I don't plan on that being an issue.

So yeah any thoughts, possible issues, and constructive criticism welcome as always.

Thanks.
 
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Flaminpyro

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:thinking:
You could do that and it would look realy nice with a finned heatsink sticking
out of the wood maby find some electronics heatsinks and adapt them/it.
you can paint it flat black or maby find a gold colored one or even aluminum color.
If you can turn wood you should be able to make a small squair place for the
heatsink to stick through ;)
 
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Helios

Helios

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someone built a laser in a wooden host...I cant find the thread but if you search its around. Looked very unusual having a bright laser beam coming out of it
 
Clickey

Clickey

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Flaminpyro said:
...you can paint it flat black or maybe find a gold colored one or even aluminum color.
Click to expand...

Do you think I should paint it, or see how it looks when it has been finished and polished? I think the wood texture would be a bit more cool to look at as apposed to the usual black, silver, or other solid colored hosts. I will put this up in violet laser section when it is done! Can't wait to work on it!

Thanks, And I think I might have an idea for heat-sinking.

EDIT:

About my power supply and driver. The LM317 driver could be packed into a small space, because the only 3 parts are the lm317 voltage regulator, capacitor, and resistor.
 
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Helios

Helios

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how many mA is your PHR running? You could probably get away with just using the standard aixiz module for heatsinking and use a short duty cycle.
 
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Blord

Blord

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Don't paint the wooden host. It will covered the texture of the wood. Maybe better use a transparant paint of varnish.
 
A

anselm

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^^^ what blord said.
I say go for it, if only for the originality.
 
Leodahsan

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if the aixiz module can't handle it, a o-like module could do it, I tested and it is at least 2 times more efficient when dissipating heat, and can handle 4 times heat power than aixiz (look my thread).
the wooden finish is great (depending on the wood type :p)
 
Helios

Helios

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Leodahsan said:
if the aixiz module can't handle it, a o-like module could do it, I tested and it is at least 2 times more efficient when dissipating heat, and can handle 4 times heat power than aixiz (look my thread).
the wooden finish is great (depending on the wood type :p)
Click to expand...

he doesnt even say how long he plans to run it or how much current he has it set at so your cannot say the that aixiz wont work. For all we know hes running it low and very little heat sinking is required.
 
Leodahsan

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thats why I said "IF the aixiz module can't handle it"
:beer:

oh and, if the module is inclosed in wood, more heatsinking will be required imo
 
Benm

Benm

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There is little you can do about heatsinking, apart from keeping very low duty cycles to keep average power at a minimum.

The peppermill design totally looks cool, but it is not very useful in terms of heatsinking. The wood actually creates more of a problem than it could hope to solve: It insulates the module and restricts airflow around it to about zero. The only way for heat to get out is through the wood, which will be a slow process.

I suppose you could do a wooden host with a metallic one inside it. Just find some method to keep some spacing between the wood and metal, and make holes/slots/etc that allow at least some convection.
 
Clickey

Clickey

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Okay well I haven't seen any post saying that this is a bad idea, so I am going to make it. I am going to probably just polish the wood when it is done. I hope to show you guys a great finished project.

Quick question, are CR123's good to use? I read online that the lithium ion are 3.7v, and the non rechargeable ones I think Lithium standard, something like that are 3v. You think using 2 or three cr123's are good?
 
A

anselm

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I am going to probably just polish the wood when it is done.
Click to expand...
Might wanna give it a clear coat of lacquer too, othewise looks will degrade over time.
 
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